Driffield 1st XV welcome Consett RUFC for their North One East Fixture, 2nd XV travel to Sandal RUFC, and 4th XV face Malton 3rds at Kelleythorpe.
Click here to see the match programme.
Consett are our next opponents in our North One East campaign. Consett returned to North One East life this season, following promotion from D&N1- the previous season they had been relegated from North One East. Consett currently sit second bottom in the league, having won one match so far this season, beating Bradford & Bingley 52 – 36. They lost by 2 points at Durham City at the end of November and by 14 points when hosting Morpeth. Other than that they have struggled. Their form has been a lot stronger at home this season. Like us, their match last weekend was postponed, but this was due to heavy frost. We beat Consett 10 – 55 in our first encounter earlier in the season.
Driffield will be eager to get back on the pitc – the Malton game on 18 December was the last time we played a competitive game. One bonus of this is : it will have given a bit of time to get any niggles sorted out. A down-side is that a month is a long time away from ‘proper’ rugby. I’m sure the coaches have got the lads keyed in to task at hand.
Driffield held onto our league leader’s position last weekend, following Ilkley’s win at Old Brodlieans. Heath also won at Malton. So the top four have tightened up a bit. Driffield P 14 56 points, Brods P15 55 points, Heath P14 52 points and Ilkley P13 51 points. Cleck are joining the gang too, sat fifth on P15 51 points. Its looking like the the top four will be ‘promoted’ in the new league structures for next season, which we want a top four finish.
Driffield welcome a few returning faces to the squad this weekend : Robbie Rix starts on the wing after recovering from injury; Blacker starts at center alongside Johnson. Blenkinsop, Ramsden and Pettinger make up the front row. Cullen has returned to Driffield on loan from Hull, and starts in the 2nd row. Sowersby, Jenkinson and Brankley make up the back row. Ryan Murray, Harry Rix and Robson are on the bench.
Another full house in the to club enjoy our pre-match hospitality, and hopefully a good crowd down to watch the first action of 2022.
Good Luck to All.